


SQUEAK

by badskippy



Series: Bagginshield One-Offs [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M, Reincarnation, True Love, eternal love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-22
Updated: 2014-06-22
Packaged: 2018-02-05 16:59:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1825585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badskippy/pseuds/badskippy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What DID happen to Hobbits and Dwarfs and Elves and Men after the War of The Ring?!   Does anyone know??  Well, actually - yes!</p>
<p>There's a story to be told - and only one can tell it ....</p>
            </blockquote>





	SQUEAK

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beetle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beetle/gifts), [authoressjean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/authoressjean/gifts), [AI07](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AI07/gifts), [Chamelaucium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chamelaucium/gifts), [b_blueberry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/b_blueberry/gifts), [erika](https://archiveofourown.org/users/erika/gifts), [Neeka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neeka/gifts), [wanderingsmith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingsmith/gifts), [northerntrash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/northerntrash/gifts), [Child_of_Eru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Child_of_Eru/gifts), [AlisaMiz12](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlisaMiz12/gifts), [Pryftan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pryftan/gifts), [WhoIsJohnnyRay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoIsJohnnyRay/gifts), [determamfidd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/determamfidd/gifts), [PumpkinSparks8616](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinSparks8616/gifts), [whyisitclever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whyisitclever/gifts), [Silver_pup](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silver_pup/gifts), [littleblackdog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleblackdog/gifts), [bubbysbub](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubbysbub/gifts), [Elenothar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenothar/gifts), [DwarvishWarriors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DwarvishWarriors/gifts), [Aida](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aida/gifts), [silverneko9lives0](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverneko9lives0/gifts).



> THIS STORY IS GIFTED TO ONLY A FEW OF THE MANY, MANY, MANY AUTHORS AND READERS THAT HAVE EITHER INSPIRED ME WITH THEIR WORKS, BOOSTED ME WITH THE COMMENTS AND KUDOS, OR WHO HAVE GIFTED ME WITH THEIR FRIENDSHIP and THEIR STORIES (Such as [SMOKE SAPPHIRE](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1064076/chapters/2134241), [EPIC](http://archiveofourown.org/works/972440/chapters/1911392), [THE SAVIOR OF THE DURIN LINE](http://archiveofourown.org/works/875542/chapters/1682828), [LAY DOWN YOUR SWEET AND WEARY HEAD](http://archiveofourown.org/works/938431/chapters/1828199), [AN EXPECTED JOURNEY](http://archiveofourown.org/works/658324/chapters/1200220), [A SHOT IN THE DARK](http://archiveofourown.org/works/634290/chapters/1150509), [THE CHANGED FUTURE SERIES](http://archiveofourown.org/series/44514), and Many more!)

* * *

 

            “Ron?” Hermione called out, as she was sure she heard her husband descending the stairs.

            “Yes, oh, She-who-knows-all,” Ron called back, just as he came into the kitchen.

            Hermione just rolled her eyes but smiled. Her husband was the most ridiculous man in the world—she wouldn’t change a thing.  “Could you make sure the wine is properly chilled?”

            “Consider it done!” Ron pointed his wand at the bottles set in the silver bucket on the buffet table; instantly the bottles were covered in a light frosty coating.  At that moment, the front doorbell chimed. “I got it,” Ron said as he made to answer the door.

            “I bet that’s Harry and Ginny,” Hermione added.

            Sure enough, Harry's and Ginny’s voices sounded from the foray and Hermione wiped her hands on a towel as she moved to great her best friend and sister-in-law. The sounds of the Potter children running up the stairs echoed down from the stairwell, as Ron took the arrival’s coats and hung them in the hall closet.

            “Is there anything I can do to help,” Ginny asked as they entered the sitting room.

            “Not a thing,” Hermione stated. “Everything is done ... just waiting for everyone else.”

            “Who all _is_ coming?” Harry asked as Ron came back into the room.

            “Well,” Hermione said, pausing to go over the guest list in her head. “Mum and Dad, Ron’s mum and dad, Percy coming alone ... Audrey is staying home, little Molly is sick ... Bill and Fleur—”

            “Are they bringing their kids?” Harry asked as he sampled a canapé.

            “No,” Hermione said sadly. “Augusta Longbottom is watching them along with Neville and Hannah’s little one, but Neville and Hannah are coming. Also, there is …” Hermione continued to name off people left, right and centre. After naming about forty people, Hermione finally slowed to a stop. “Naturally I've told Neville to extend an invitation to the Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Slughorn.  Bill stated that he invited a couple of the Dumbledore supporters from among the goblins and, finally, Hagrid. That’s it.”

            “That’s it?!” Ron said while he was clearly trying to get his head to stop spinning. “What did you do? Invite everyone that survived the Battle of Hogwarts?”

            “Don’t be ridiculous,” his wife said with a wave of her hand. “I’ve already put concealment and Muggle-repelling charms in the back garden, as well as Muffliato, so people can feel free to venture outside if the house gets too crowded.”

            Ron and Harry entered into a conversation between themselves, while Ginny, followed Hermione into the kitchen.

            “Who did you get to babysit?” Ginny asked, reaching for a cold butterbeer.

            “Oh!” Hermione said, turning excitedly. “A young house-elf named Squeak!” Because of her work with Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and her continued work with S.P.E.W., Hermione had gotten to know many of the freed house-elves (not that there were that many to being with) and had actually found good paying position for them.

            “He is good with kids?” Ginny asked, not really worried.

            “Perfection!” Hermione assured her friend. “And he is the cutest thing! He won’t even take more than a Galleon for babysitting.”

            “That seems to so low for watching our five?!” Ginny loved her children to no end, but she was perfectly aware that James Sirius, alone, could be a handful, not to mention when added to Albus, Lily, and the Ron and Hermione's Rose and Hugo.

            “If you try to pay more,” Hermione said with a slightly disgruntled look, “he'll refuse to take the job. However, I do know that he is something of a clothes horse, so all I make him a little something and he will be glad to accept that.”

            “Good trade-off,” Ginny said impressed.

            “You should see what I made him for tonight!” Hermione stated with a giggle, “It’s so cute! It’s a little—,” Hermione didn’t get to finish because at that moment the doorbell chimed once more. “That must be him now,” she moved to open the front door.

            Ginny followed into the foray and indeed found a small, adorable looking young house-elf was walking through the door. He had large hazel-green eyes and the fluffy hair in his ears was a dark blond color—oddly, Ginny noticed it had an almost curly quality to it. The elf wore little khaki-colored shorts but no shirt—instead, he wore a little waistcoat in a shockingly bright purple color with turquoise embroidery in a geometric design. On anyone else, it would have been ridiculous—it still was a bit—but somehow, the little house-elf looked charming in it.

            “I’m so glad you could make it, Squeak,” Hermione stated as she closed the front door.

            “I’m honored you would see fit to trust me with your children,” Squeak stated with a small bow. “I hope I am not late?” He was looking past Hermione to Ginny and clearly heard Ron and Harry laughing in the parlour.

            “Not at all!” Hermione assured him as she turned and gestured to Ginny. “This is Ginny Potter.”

            Squeak’s eyes lit up and he gave Ginny a deep bow. “It’s an honor to meet you, Missus Potter.”

            “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Squeak,” Ginny said with a nod of her head. “But please, call me Ginny.”

            It was all Ginny could do to hold back her laughter, as Squeak’s face fell into an adorably cute, pinched expression of disapproval.  "I couldn’t possibly do that, Missus Potter,” Squeak said with a slightly cocked eyebrow. “To use your first name would be highly inappropriate—bordering on the scandalous. I simply couldn’t.”

            As Squeak walked past them, Ginny had to cover her mouth so she would lose it. “Oh, my God!” she whispered to Hermione.

            “I told you he was adorable,” Hermione whispered back.

            Squeak was introduced to both Ron and Harry, who also had to suppress snickers of their own when Squeak, once again, stated that it simply _'could not be borne'_ to use their first names—stating further that his mother would have been horrified if he even _thought_ to do such a thing!

            Ginny and Hermione gave Squeak a quick rundown of the rules for the children—although there were few and Squeak seemed already aware of most. Finally, they reached young Rose’s room where all five Potter/Weasley children were currently _‘incarcerated’,_ Ginny pointed out under her breath.

            “Everyone,” Hermione said as she opened the door, to catch James, Albus and Hugo jumping up and down on Rose’s bed, while Rose stood with her hands on her hips, demanding that boys get down _‘this instant’_ and little Lily ignoring them all, as she twirled around in her bubblegum pink dress, dancing to the music of her own imagination.

            “James Sirius Potter!” Ginny said sternly. “You get down off that bed immediately!” She and Harry normally had no problem whatsoever with their children jump on beds—they considered it normal, healthy behavior. However, this was not their home nor was it their space. “This is Rose’s room,” Ginny continued. “And that is her bed. That means while you are in this room, her rules apply.”

            But while Albus and Hugo moved swiftly to the floor, James continued to jump. “But this is fun and Rose is just being a party pooper!”

            “I am not!” Rose shouted.

            “Are too!” James retorted.

            Suddenly there was a loud snap of fingers and James—rather than coming down from his jump, sailed gracefully through the air and landed on both feet next to Rose, while at the same time the bed remade itself into its normally tidy condition. Everyone, including the two adults, turned to look at Squeak whose hand was still raised from his snap; the children looked shocked while the two women looked amused.

            “Mister James,” Squeak said softly, coming from behind Hermione. “It’s very disrespectful to question or disagree with your mother at all, let alone in front of others. Also, it’s very rude to disregard the wishes of Miss Rose in her own chambers. I’m sure you would agree that both transgressions require sincere apologies.” Squeak spoke very softly and sounded as if he were teaching rather than scolding.

            So stunned was James, that he blinked a couple of times before saying “Sorry,” to both Ginny and Rose, who in return nodded back to James.   Hermione and Ginny exchange looks and saw the other one trying to keep from laughing.

            “Now, everyone,” Hermione started again. “This is Squeak.”

            “How do you do,” Squeak said with a sweet smile and a deep bow from the waist. “It’s a pleasure to meet each of you.” The house elf continued to smile sweetly as if James’ reprimand had never happened.

            The children nodded in reply, while Lily came up, took one of Squeak’s hands in her own and whispered. “I like your waistcoat. It’s very pretty.”

            “Thank you, Miss Lily,” Squeak whispered back. “It’s one of my favorites. And might I say, your dress is very lovely as well.”

            Lily giggled but continued to hold Squeak’s hand. It was quite plain to the adults that the littlest one was already quite taken with the little house elf.

            “Well, then,” Hermione said. “We'll be downstairs if you need anything, Squeak.”

            “Thank you, Missus Weasley,” Squeak replied. “But I believe we shall get on famously.”

            Once the adults were gone, James relaxed and thought it time to call out Squeak for his actions. “You didn’t have to magic me off the bed, you know,” James said with a fierce look that had zero impact on the house elf.   “I would have gotten down myself—eventually.”

            “Oh, I know,” Squeak said as if every word James was saying as the truth. “I just helped you down faster.”

            James opened his mouth to argue but found he could not so he snapped his jaw shut and looked disgruntled instead.

            “Now,” Squeak said with a cheery smile and bright expression. “What would you all like to do?” James, Albus, and Hugo shrugged their shoulders; they hadn’t a clue. Lily still refused to let go of Squeak’s hand but the house elf appeared to have no intention of freeing it.

            Finally, it was Rose who stepped forward, if a bit hesitantly, to make a request. “Would you read us a story?” She seemed quite shy for some reason that Squeak could not put his finger on until she produced a book from behind her back.

            “Oh, no!” James groaned dramatically. “Not that old thing again?!” He turned to the house elf to complain. “She made us read that stupid book all last year after she borrowed it off a Muggle friend — as if it was the greatest thing since Fizzing Whizzbees!”

            “I never said that!” Rose retorted, once again putting her hands on her hips.

            “It’s just stuff and nonsense!” James shot back and sticking his tongue out in emphasis.

            “Now, now,” Squeak said wiggling his finger. “Let’s not fight.”

            “He started it!” Rose said now sticking her tongue out at James.

            “Just because he started it,” Squeak said moving to stand between them, “doesn’t mean you have to continue it.” He shot a pointed look at them both and the two children settled. “And besides, Mister James, you should know perfectly well that Muggles cannot help but see the world differently from the rest of us.”

            “It’s just a silly fairy tale,” James pronounced.

            “Muggles believe that dragons, wizards, and magic are nothing more than fairy tales too,” Squeak pointed out plainly. “Do you think of _yourself_ as a fairy tale, Mister James?” When he saw that the young boy had no answer to that, Squeak took the book in question from Rose to see what it was. “ _The Hobbit_ , by J.R.R. Tolkien,” the house elf read out quietly. “Hhmmmmm,” He scratched his chin in thought as he appeared to think things over in his head.

            However, because of Squeak’s rather brilliant response to James, the others were eager with questions.

            “Do you think there _were_ Hobbits?” Lily wanted to know.

            “What about Dwarfs?!” Albus and Hugo both inquired.

            “And the Elves,” Rose demanded, her eyes bright.

            “I think,” the house elf said, coming back to himself, “that we will need some hot cocoa and biscuits before we go any further.”

            Squeak snapped his fingers and instantly there was a giant tray of assorted biscuits and six mugs of steaming hot cocoa, with marshmallows, of course. Another snap of his fingers and Squeak had all the pillows in the room arrange themselves in a semicircle on the floor so that the children could all have a comfortable spot and reach the giant tray that hovered just above the rug.

            “You make good things appear out of thin air, Mister Squeak,” Lily said in awe as she munched a large oatmeal cookie.

            “Now, you know I can’t do that,” the house elf chided but with an amused, fond smile.

            “Because of the Gamp's Law,” James stated proudly.

            “Correct,” Squeak said. “The cocoa, milk, mugs and even marshmallows were all in the kitchen to being with — I just put them together.”

            “And made them hot,” Rose added as she snagged a ginger biscuit from the tray.

            “Precisely,” the house elf nodded. “As for the biscuits, your mothers already had them set aside for you downstairs, I simply brought them up and increased their size and quantity.”

            “Well, whatever, Mister Squeak,” James said while Squeak mentally noted the respect in the young wizard’s voice. “It’s still great!

            “Now,” Squeak said as the children settled back among the pillows, obviously comfortable. “You were all asking about Hobbits and Dwarfs.”

            “And Elves!” Rose added.

            “Them too,” the house elf nodded. Squeak settled himself on a tall pile of pillows so that he was a good head above the others and after a deep breath, he started his tale.

            “You all know _The Hobbit_ so I won’t go over that again. And as James said, the Muggles believe it all to be a fantasy — make-believe — only a fairy story to be told to children. While I can tell you that the Muggles tell the story basically correct, they didn’t tell it completely.”

            “So, there really were Hobbits?!” Hugo and Lily asked.

            “Yes, course.”

            “And Dwarfs?!” Albus questioned.

            “Naturally.”

            “And Elves?!” Rose demanded.

            “It goes without saying.”

            “What happened to them all?” James asked sounding perplexed.

            “Well,” Squeak said, ready to continue on. “There was a great war, The War of The Ring, and afterward, the human king, Elessar Telcontar, also known as Aragorn, was crowned king and he united the free kingdoms of men under one banner.”

            “Like King Arthur,” Albus supplied and Squeak nodded in agreement.

            “King Elessar granted the Hobbit’s peace and free rule and banned men from entering The Shire.  The Dwarfs returned to their kingdoms and remained at peace as well.  Most of the Elves departed Middle-Earth and returned to Valinor, where it is said they live to this day, in peace, harmony and in total and complete isolation from the rest of the world.”

            “I want to go see Elves!” Lily announced.

            “Me too!” Hugo agreed. “I wonder how far it is by boat.”

            “You cannot reach Valinor in any way, shape or form as it is closed.  Only Elves and those blessed by them may cross from this world and into the next to get there.”

            There was much grumbling among those that wanted to see the Elves but it settled very quickly and the eager looks returned to stare at the house elf.

            “So,” James asked. “What happened?”

            “What so often happens, young Mister James,” Squeak said with a soft, sad expression. “People forget.  

            "You see, the Dwarfs had retreated to their mountain halls, their isolation growing over time and since female Dwarfs, Dwarrowdams, were already in short numbers, and more and more males choose their crafts over wives, eventually, the Dwarf populations dwindled. One by one the great Dwarf kingdoms simply ... died out.  Finally, King Durin VII, lead the last of the Dwarfs back to Khazad-dum and there they stayed until the world grew old and the Dwarves failed and the days of Durin's race were ended.

            “Or so many thought.

            “As for the Elves, only a small handful remained behind after the last of their kin sailed into the west.  Those that remained eventually either built their own ships to sail—as did Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood—or they grew weary in their misery, faded and then gave up their lives—as did Arwen, Queen to King Elessar.

            “But, the race of men, on the other hand, forgot the promise of King Elessar and after many centuries began to move into The Shire. Slowly, little by little, they pushed the Hobbits into smaller and smaller areas until eventually, there was little left of the once plentiful land or its peace-loving inhabitants.

            “Now, to give you a little history first, how exactly Hobbits were born into the world, no one could say ... not even back then. Some believe that Eru made them from remnants left over after he created the race of Men. A Few others say that with the Hobbit’s pointed, leaf-like ears and nature-loving disposition, the Elves must have had a hand in their creation. Even fewer still believed that Hobbits were nothing more than deformed and rejected Men who came together to breed and thus were born as a new race.

            “But while no one knew for sure, the idea that the beautiful Valar, the Lady Yavanna, the Goddess of fauna and flora, the giver of gifts, the wisher of the Ents and the protector of all that is green, had a special place in her heart for the little people of The Shire, went almost without question. They say it was she that granted the Hobbits the gift of abundance and fertility, which will be a good thing as the story progresses.

            “Now, when it comes to the views of Hobbits themselves, many called the Shire-folk weak, soft, fragile and even beneath consideration. But what few realized was that Hobbits, while not ones for adventure, were still rather adaptable.

            “At least, a certain portion of the population.

            “This predisposition for adaptation was well noted when one considered that the Hobbits originated, not in The Shire itself but far to the east, between the Misty Mountains and Greenwood Forest, which was called Mirkwood in the time of quest for Erebor. Somewhere along the banks of the Anduin River is where the Hobbits came from and for some unknown reason, the early Hobbit ancestors left their first home and traveled the treacherous, and often time dangerous route, over the mountains to settle near the rolling hills and gentle streams of The Shire.

            “So, as the race of Men invaded, the Hobbits returned to their near nomadic roots and set off to find a new home elsewhere; one where they would be safe.

            “At almost the same time, a group of the last Dwarfs decided that, rather than wait for their race to end, they would set forth and seek others of their kind and perhaps rekindle their once proud race. They too traveled north, through the misty mountains, looking for a place they could be at peace and live away from the advancing men.

            “As fate would have it, the two groups ... the Race of Durin and the Hobbits of The Shire ... united along the way. The Dwarfs were hardy folk, for they were born of stone, while the Hobbits, as adaptable as they were, did not fair as well.  But, as I have said, a portion of the Hobbit population was sturdy enough for such a journey; the females. You see, Hobbit females were used to bearing large families and working fields and tending livestock as well as cooking, cleaning and caring for a multitude of family members all at once.

            “I do not need to tell you then, at this point, how well the two struggling races met each other’s needs. The Dwarfs offered protection while the Hobbit lasses offered care and the promise of a great number of children.

            “Traveling together, the finally came to Mount Gundabad, the birthplace of the Dwarf race and in the mountains, near the old kingdom of Angmar, where the Witch King had once ruled, they made their last stand together.

            “The Dwarfs mined for metals and stones—anything that could be sold or crafted into something of greater value, while the Hobbits bore more children and tended home and kept the races going. It seemed they were saved.

            “But two things happened that were not foreseen; one was completely unexpected while the other was quite sad.”

            “Oh, no!” cried little Lily. “They didn’t get sick and die, did they?”

            “No, my dear, they didn’t die.”

            “Were they conquered?!” James asked, sounding enraged.

            “In a way, but that comes later.”

            “Did they suffer?” said little Hugo, quietly.

            “In some ways, but not in all ways.”

            “What happened then?” Rose asked, with a spark in her eyes that spoke her fierce intelligence.

            Squeak took a deep breath before saying, “They changed.

            “You see, as the two races blended and merged, they slowly and irreparably lost their individual cultures. In only a few generations, they forgot their origins and began to form their own traditions and way of living.

            “This may seem clear now but at the time, no one considered it and as so much was riding on their survival, no one could really take the time to mourn all that they were losing.

            “Now there were some that followed more the Dwarf habit of mining and staying in the protectiveness of the caves they lived in, while others followed the Hobbit desire to be outside and be one with nature and all its gentle glory. So it was that over time something unexpected transpired; the merged races began to pull apart again and soon there were two distinct and separate new races to speak of.

            “One, like the Dwarfs, was secretive and many called them greedy. They had no love of outsiders, preferring their caves and they developed further their crafts of mining, metalwork and gem collecting. But they didn’t look like Dwarfs anymore. They had larger eyes so that they could see even better in the dark, they had tapered ears, as the Hobbits did but this race had long pointed ones. Their hands were long and spindly and their feet were large, as Hobbits used to be. They still grew hair on their heads and many grew beards but it was finer like a Hobbit’s, not long and luxurious like the original Dwarf hair. They had a fierce intelligence, and demeanor like the Dwarfs of old and a keen sense of entitlement and were easily offended—they came to prefer very specific contracts as the Dwarfs did.

            “They sound like Goblins,” James said off handily but Squeak said nothing; only continued on with his story.

            “The other race was small like the Hobbits but were now even smaller, none over three feet. They too had long ears but, unlike the leaf-shaped ears of Hobbits, their ears were larger and bat-like. The famous curly hair of the Hobbits, once a source of pride and identify, was gone as the hair had shifted to the inside of the ears, while the head was smooth and bald as an apple. They too had large eyes for good eyesight but rather than seeing in the dark, their eyes helped them in the wilds as this new race preferred the open areas and forests. They were timid, gentle creatures like their Hobbit ancestors. They were good with food, cleaning, chores and hard work, just like Hobbits, but their heads and bones hard and sturdy; thanks to the Dwarf blood in their veins.

            “By the time the two races were completely and truly separate, many thousands of years had passed. So many in fact, that the races themselves forgot not only their Hobbit and Dwarf ancestry but their shared ancestry born out of the merging of the two proud, ancient races. Even though they shared many attributes; pointed ears, small stature, large eyes, long fingers and toes, they were so removed from each other, that each refused to believe that they were ever related at all.

            “Truth became mere facts; facts turned into dry history; history became legend; legend became myth—and the races of Hobbits and Dwarf, having become so lost to all knowledge, were forgotten to have even ever existed.

            “Therefore, when the time came and the Race of Men discovered them anew, Men had no names for these new races.

            “Elves, and their evil counterparts, the Orcs, had become fairy stories and things you told children to make them behave. When the timid, easily controlled new race was first spotted, Men thought them to be the mythical Elves and named as such. While the other race, with their distrust and aggressive nature, fit more with the legend of Orcs and were called Goblins. Since the two new races knew no better, the new names took hold.

            “Whoa!” James said sitting up straight. “You’re saying that House Elves were Hobbits and Goblins were Dwarfs?!”

            “Not necessarily,” Squeak said. “It would more accurate to say that the blended offspring of Hobbits and Dwarfs realigned and became House Elves and Goblins. However, you will get very few Elves or Goblins to admit that not only were they born of these two ancient races but that they are related to each other. As a matter of fact, you will get very few of any race—Men, Elves, Goblin, even Giants—to believe.”

            “But House Elves and Goblins are magical,” Rose said, clearly turning over the ideas in her head. “However, Hobbits and Dwarfs were not.”

            “Or so the race of Men,” Squeak said with a raised finger to make a point, “who control most of the writing of history, would like you to believe.”

            “Where did your magic come from?” Albus asked.

            “The founding of magic is a very long story,” the house elf said, “but ask yourselves, in the stories written by men, how did the race of Men get magic?”

            There was no answer forthcoming from any of the children. Even Rose and James, both very bright and sharp-minded, had no answer.

            “How _did we_ get magic?” James finally asked.

            “As I said,” Squeak stated, “it is a very long story, but I will try and make it quick.  You see, there were a total of five Istari or wizards; Saruman the White, Gandalf the Grey ... who later became another white wizard ... Radagast the Brown and then there were two Blue wizards of unknown names.  Not, even Gandalf could ever remember their names ... that's how long they were gone.  Now, Saruman was killed at the end of the War of The Ring and his spirit returned to the Valar, while Radagast remained here with the mortals, but they say that over time, as he lived so removed from humans and only with animals, he forgot he was even a wizard and hasn’t been heard from in millennia. Gandalf sailed into the West after the War of the Ring and now resides with the true Elves in Valinor; never able to return to this realm.  As for the two Blues, however, while their true fate remains unknown, many believe it was they who taught magic to those of the Race of Men that had natural gifts to perform magic.”

            “Maybe,” James said with a wild look in his eyes, “the two Blue Wizards were really Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin!”

            All the children got very excited about this theory and jumped up and down and seemed to run wild with ideas. However, when they all noticed that Squeak had not moved, had made no comment, merely sitting there with one raised eyebrow, they calmed and turned to him so he could continue.

            “That is a very intriguing story, James,” Squeak said with a gentle nod. “And as magic was taught far and wide, from the East to the South ... who knows.  Did the Blues travel the world, even crossing the ice bridge from Asia to the Americas during the last Ice Age and thus teach the Native Americans?  Who knows.  Did they, indeed, adopt other names and could very well have been Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin?  Who knows.  However, since those two men are well known and the Blues were known to be close friends, it seems doubtful that they would be the two male Hogwart's founders that eventually turned their backs on each other.  But then ... who knows."

            The house elf felt bad to see the disappointed looks on the children as the realization sunk in.

            “Don’t feel bad, James,” Squeak said softly. “It was a very clever idea, and maybe one day you will grow to be a Magic Historian and explore their pasts.” James just shrugged but did seem a little happier.

            “Now,” the house elf continued on. “As I was saying, many believe it was the returning Blue wizards who taught the Race of Men magic, and it was not long after that the knowledge passed on to House Elves and Goblins.”

            “How did they find out?” Rose asked.

            “In the beginning,” Squeak replied. “Men believed that only they had the power ... they thought House Elves and Goblins too inferior to possess such abilities, and therefore, Men were very careless in guarding the practice, demonstration and use of magic. Thus, House Elves and Goblins, often were present when magic was used.

            “You see, Hobbits were considered by many to be related to the Race of Men, and it is suspected that Hobbits had a latent, unused magical ability within them ... they just lacked someone to teach them. Since Hobbits were well known to breed and interbreed throughout The Shire, this magical propensity continued to build and build within them. Then when they merged with the Dwarfs, those genes were passed on to the Dwarrow and their combined offspring, so that in the end, House Elves and Goblins had the powerful potential for magic ... they only needed the know-how.  That would also explain why House Elf and Goblin magic is different, and in some ways stronger and don't require wands.”

            Squeak stopped here to build his strength. This was going getting into a touchy subject for House Elves but there was no way around it.

            “Once Men had magic,” Squeak said slowly. “The stage was set for House Elf enslavement.” The children gasped at the little being but he pushed on. “The Race of Men slowly conquered the House Elves ... any Elves that were willful and resisted their masters were eliminated, so that the ones that remained were timid, subservient, and easiest to dominate and control until have what we have today, a race made slaves of another.”

            All the children looked very contrite and had a difficult time looking at Squeak. He hated seeing those expressions.

            “None of you are at fault,” the house elf said gently. “And your mother,” he pointed to Rose and Hugo, “has made life must easier already for my people. And your father,” he looked at James, Albus and then to Lily, “is well known to be kind and supportive of Missus Weasley’s actions and Harry Potter’s word goes a very long way in the magical community.”

            The children nodded and when they saw Squeak smiling brightly, they too relaxed and the room returned to his previous mood.

            “That explains,” Rose said, “what happened to Hobbits and Dwarves-”

            “And,” James added, “where House Elves and Goblins came from and how they became what they are today—”

            “But,” Rose cut in, turning to Squeak, “that doesn’t explain how you know all this.”

            Squeak sighed and took a sip of his now cool hot cocoa, which he actually like cool. “That is very true,” he said firmly. “But sometimes ... and no one knows why ... sometimes, the descendants of Hobbits and Dwarves are born with the knowledge of the past.”

            “And you were?” Albus asked.

            “Let’s just say,” Squeak said with a wink, “I know what I am talking about.”

            With the story over and everyone done with their cocoa and biscuits, Squeak sent all the dishes and uneaten food back to the kitchen. The rest of the evening was spent playing games and telling jokes until finally, as he heard the sounds of the first guests leaving, he had all the children tucked into bed, asleep.

            He worried that his history lesson would give all the children nightmares, so, while he would normally never charm a child without asking a parent’s permission, he gently ran a finger across each child’s forehead to remove all the dark images and instead make sure that they dreamt of lush fields and rolling hills, of white clouds and birdsong, and that each one of them would dream of being a Hobbit fauntling, running through The Shire on a perfect spring day.

            Squeak ventured downstairs to speak with Hermione and Ginny. It was time to put all the wheels in motion.

            “Missus Weasley,” Squeak said as some of the remaining guests looked over at him. “The children are all tucked in and asleep.”

            “Thank you, Squeak,” Hermione said, “If you wait here, I will get your payment.”

            “That really isn’t necessary,” the house elf said.

            “You know our agreement,” Hermione called back.

            Squeak hated taking money for something that really was so enjoyable but he knew she was stubborn, he had to laugh at that. Besides, he had had an ulterior motive for coming.

            “Here you are,” Hermione handed the house elf a single, shiny Galleon. “And I have a present for you as well.” She pulled from behind her back a small white box with a bright red ribbon and bow.

            “You shouldn’t have, Missus Weasley.” Squeak was perfectly aware that Hermione wanted to pay more, but since he refused, she often made him new clothes. He opened the box and gasped; it was a new waistcoat in a deep, royal blue with embroidered flowers in Silver thread along the lapel.   “Oh, Missus Weasley, it’s beautiful! Thank you.” He bowed deeply and he truly was awed by it. Squeak snapped his fingers and his purple waistcoat disappeared; he now wore his new blue one.

            “It’s lovely,” Ginny said. “And we do appreciate you watching the children so well.” She too offered a single Galleon but Squeak refused.

            “One is enough,” the house elf said. “Too much gold can turn one’s head.”       

            “Well, frankly,” Harry said coming up to stand next to his wife, “you must be a miracle worker because I don’t think the children have ever been this quiet before!”

            “Oh I just told them a story and they ate it up!”

            “Are you sure you were watching _our_ kids?” Ron teased, which got a chuckle from everyone nearby.

            “Oh yes, your children were very well behaved.”

            “What story did you _tell them_?” Harry asked.

            “I talked of Hobbits and the Dwarfs of Khazad-dum,” Squeak said boldly.

            The sound of breaking glass was heard from the back and everyone turned to see Bill Weasley stick his head in from the conservatory. “Nothing to worry about!  Just a little accident!” That got laughs and Ron playfully said that if Bill was the one who broke that glass - which Bill insisted, emphatically, he hadn't - he was coming over to Shell Cottage to break all of Bill’s.

            More and more guests were leaving and Squeak took it upon himself to make sure the kitchen was clean and immaculate — after all, for such a beautiful new waistcoat, more work would need to be completed. Finally with only a small handful of guest left, mostly just family, Squeak bid the Weasley and Potter families goodbye and stepped out into the night.

            He walked slowly, as the tingling sensation he had been feeling for weeks built up. He didn’t have to wait long.

            “You,” came a harsh voice, whispered loudly, from the darkened side yard of the Weasley home.

            Squeak stopped and looked; his eyes were good, but he could see very little in the darkness there except the shapes of the garbage bins. If someone was there, they were either using a concealment charm or hiding behind the bins; he suspected the later.

            “Why are you hiding?” Squeak asked softly in a loud whisper as he moved closer.

            “What rights have you to tell lies to children,” the voice spit out angrily.

            “What makes you think they are lies?” he wasn’t even going to pretend to not know what the being was talking about.

            “You know nothing of Khazad-dum,” the voice said.

            “I know _little_ of Khazad-dum, but I do know of it. I know more Rivendell and the Woodland Realm,” Squeak said quietly as he continued to stare into the dark.

            There was a sharp release of breath, like a viper’s hiss from the being. “Do not speak of the true Elves to me!”

            “Would you prefer I speak to you of Erebor?” Squeak said, almost intimately.

            “I would prefer you to stop with your lies!” Again the voice sounded angry but there was something else there now — was it apprehension? Was it doubt? Squeak had a feeling it was more fear than anything else.

            “Why do you hide in the shadows?” Squeak asked, changing strategy and deciding to be bolder. “Come now, don’t be shy, step into the light.”

            There was movement and Squeak could just make out the shadowed form of a small being, step out from behind that bins. While the pale light of the moon caught the being’s eyes, there were still no details to be seen. For a moment, the house elf thought the being would continue coming forward but suddenly the being shook his head and stepped back.

            “No, I don’t believe you. You’re lying,” the being’s voice as still a harsh whisper but there was now another added quality to it; it was starting to sound fragile.

            Squeak felt the time had come. He had known something was building for a long while now and he knew that he would be tonight. He didn’t want to hold back anything; he had waited so long for this.

            Taking a breath, he said in a soft, almost sweet voice, “Should I tell you then how Bombur’s stew was the only one I ever ate, that never tasted as good the next day?” Squeak took a step forward. “Or how Bofur’s jokes, while tired and old, made one feel better because it was his laughter that was so infectious?” Squeak advance two more steps. “Perhaps you would like to hear how Dwalin was the bravest ... well, the second bravest ... Dwarf in the company but was so charmingly shy whenever Ori smiled at him?” He was only an arms reach away now. “Or maybe you want to hear of Gloin, who proudly talked about his son, Gimli, as if the boy hung the moon and the stars in the sky.” Squeak gently put his hands on the beings own and drew him into the light.

            It was a Goblin; he was a good fifteen centimeters taller than Squeak but seemed very shy and uncertain at the moment. The Goblin had black hair, cut short and slicked back with a single, thick strip of silver hair that ran along one side, and had a thick, trim black beard and mustache. He was dressed in dark blue and black, and he cut a rather handsome figure for a Goblin. But it was the eyes that drew and caught Squeak’s attention.

            “What is your name?” Squeak asked.

            “Dângnok,” The Goblin said softly; all anger and harshness were gone now from the voice.

            “That’s a beautiful name,” Squeak said with a smile. “If I am not mistaken, Dân means ‘Thunder’, am I correct?”

            “Yes,” Dângnok said, not taking his eyes from Squeak’s face, and squeezing the house elf’s hands a little tighter in his own.

            “I used to know someone else with a name that meant thunder,” Squeak said, stepping closer so that there was but a couple of centimeters between them.

            “How could you know these things?” Dângnok said with a ragged breath.

            It was then that the house elf saw the one thing he had so desperately been waiting to see in those beautiful eyes of sapphire blue—hope.

            “Because, how could I not remember the one being I promised to love for all eternity?”

            Tears fell from Dângnok’s eyes as he leaned in and laid his forehead against the small being he had been waiting a lifetime for.

            “I have missed you so, Bilbo,” Dângnok said.

            “And I have missed you, my king,” Squeak said as he leaned up and placed a kiss on the Goblin’s cheek; _his_ Goblin; _his_ king; _his Thorin_.

            The two reborn lovers turned their heads and shared a kiss that was long, long overdue.

 

\-----oooooOOOOO88888OOOOOooooo-----

 

            No one ever saw Squeak again. Hermione was frantic at first to find the elf but no clue ever turned up. Fliers went up and all his clients were questioned. Many wizard children, and their parents, were devastated by the loss; Squeak was simply the finest sitter there was and not another could take his place.

            Across town, at Gringotts, the disappearance of Dângnok was barely noticed or cared about. No one was that bothered as the Goblin was not overly popular. He was considered too gruff and grumpy, even by the other Goblins. As far as they were concerned, if they were rid of him for good, then good riddance to him.

            No one put the two disappearances together; but then, why would they?

            If only the searchers had gone far to the north, deep into the heart of the Scandinavian Peninsula, then they might have had better luck. But it still would've taken more than luck. They would have had to go high into the mountains, past several markers designed to confuse outsiders, known exactly where to stand and in what particular direction as the sun set—not to mention having to know the secret words—to find the warm, cozy cave of a smial with the beautifully ornate round door painted in a bright spring green.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> fifteen centimeters – about 8 inches.
> 
> Yes – it was Dângnok/Thorin who dropped his glass when he heard Squeak/Bilbo mention Khazad-dum.
> 
> Dângnok = a combination of Dân- (Thunder) in Swedish and, -gnok, one of the few suffixes from the goblins in the Harry Potter series. (This plays well with Thorin which is a variant of Thor which almost means ‘Thunder’)
> 
> Squeak = Bilbo Baggins is often accused of making squeaking sounds.


End file.
